PROVERBS CHAPTER 15 A SOFT, mild or gentle, answer, which may imply a foregoing charge or accusation, although the word is and may be rendered _speech or discourse_, turneth away wrath from the speaker. GRIEVOUS WORDS, fierce and vexatious replies or speeches, stir up anger; kindle it, and cause it... [ Continue Reading ]
USETH KNOWLEDGE ARIGHT; expressing what he knows prudently and gracefully; taking due care both what, and when, and to whom, and in what manner he speaks. POURETH OUT, plentifully, continually, promiscuously, and vehemently, as a fountain doth waters, as this word signifies.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EYES OF THE LORD; his knowledge and providence. THE EVIL; who are first mentioned, because they either doubt of or deny God's providence.... [ Continue Reading ]
A WHOLESOME TONGUE, which uttereth sound, and comfortable, and useful counsels, is a tree of life; is greatly useful to preserve the present life, and to promote the spiritual and eternal life, both of the speaker and hearers. PERVERSENESS THEREIN, all sorts of false or corrupt speeches, IS A BREACH... [ Continue Reading ]
A FOOL DESPISETH, doth not regard nor obey, which is an evidence of contempt, HIS FATHER'S INSTRUCTION; who hath both love to him, and authority over him; which greatly aggravates his folly. REPROOF; the reproof of any person whatsoever, and much more of a father.... [ Continue Reading ]
HOUSE, or _family_; whereby he implies that it is not only enjoyed by him, but also left to his posterity. IN THE REVENUES OF THE WICKED IS TROUBLE: though he may obtain great revenues, yet they are attended with much trouble and vexation; either because they are strangely blasted and taken from the... [ Continue Reading ]
DISPERSE KNOWLEDGE; freely communicate to others what they know, as they have opportunity. DOETH NOT SO; either because he hath no knowledge to disperse, or because he hath not a heart to perform his duty, or to do good to others. Or, as others render it, and as the last Hebrew word is rendered, GEN... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SACRIFICE; all the religious services, yea, the best and most costly of them; one kind being put for all the rest. THE PRAYER; the cheapest and meanest services.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WAY; the conversation or course of life. This verse seems to contain a reason of the foregoing. God hates wicked men's religious performances, because they are accompanied with ungodly lives, and they pull down with one hand what they build up with another. THAT FOLLOWETH AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS; th... [ Continue Reading ]
CORRECTION IS GRIEVOUS; he hateth reproof, because it is a reproach to him, and because it strikes at that sin which he loveth. THE WAY; God's way, emphatically called the way here, as also PSALMS 119:1, PSALMS 139:24 PROVERBS 2:13. SHALL DIE, i.e. be destroyed, both here and, for ever; which is a m... [ Continue Reading ]
DESTRUCTION; put for the place of destruction, by a usual metonymy; the place and state of the damned, of which men know nothing but by Divine revelation. THE HEARTS; whose thoughts and affections, though they lie deep, discover themselves by outward signs and actions.... [ Continue Reading ]
LOVETH NOT, i.e. hateth and avoideth it; for more is here understood than is expressed, as it is PROVERBS 11:21, PROVERBS 12:3, and elsewhere. NEITHER WILL HE GO UNTO, seek their company and conversation, as his duty and interest obligeth him, the wise, i.e. the godly, because he knows they who are... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT; either, 1. His vital spirits. Or rather, 2. His courage and rigour, the decay whereof showeth itself in his countenance, as is implied from the former clause.... [ Continue Reading ]
Their hearts are set upon wickedness, which is meat and drink to them.... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE AFFLICTED; of the troubled in mind or heart, as this general expression may very fitly be restrained from the following clause. ARE EVIL; tedious and uncomfortable; he takes no content in any time or thing. OF A MERRY HEART, Heb. _of a good heart_, i.e. composed, and quiet, and contented. HAT... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FEAR OF THE LORD, which gives a man tranquillity and comfort in what he hath. TROUBLE; tumultuous lusts and passions, vexatious cares and fears, horrors of conscience, and expectation of God's curse and judgment, which riches gotten without God's fear do commonly produce.... [ Continue Reading ]
LOVE; true friendship and kindness between those that eat together.... [ Continue Reading ]
STIRRETH UP STRIFE, because he is very apt both to give and to take all occasions of contention.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WAY OF THE SLOTHFUL MAN, the way in which he doth or ought to walk, any good work which he pretends or desires to undertake, IS AS AN HEDGE OF THORNS; as a way hedged up with thorns, as it is expressed, HOSEA 2:6, troublesome and perplexed, and full, of such difficulties as he despaireth, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKETH A GLAD FATHER, by giving him that honour and obedience which he oweth to him. DESPISETH HIS MOTHER; whereby he maketh her sad. SEE POOLE ON "PROVERBS 10:1", where we have the same proverb.... [ Continue Reading ]
IS JOY; he doth not only work wickedness, but taketh pleasure in it. WALKETH UPRIGHTLY, Heb. _directeth_ or _maketh straight his going_, i.e. ordereth all his actions by the rule of God's word, and delighteth in so doing, which is understood from the opposite clause.... [ Continue Reading ]
WITHOUT COUNSEL, when men do not seek or will not receive advice from others in weighty affairs, PURPOSES ARE DISAPPOINTED; their designs are ill managed, and succeed accordingly. IN THE MULTITUDE OF COUNSELLORS, i.e. of wise and good counsellors, for such only deserve that name, THEY ARE ESTABLISHE... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE ANSWER, i.e. by a wise or good and seasonable answer or advice, as is manifest, both from the opposite clause, and from the nature of the thing, because it is manifest and undeniable, that a foolish answer can be no credit nor comfort to the answerer. Thus above, PROVERBS 15:10, the way is pu... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WAY OF LIFE IS ABOVE TO THE WISE; the way or course which a wise man taketh to preserve and obtain life, is to place his heart, and treasure, and conversation in things above, and to manage all his affairs in this world with due respect and subserviency to the happiness of a better life. FROM HE... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE PROUD; of the most mighty oppressors, who conceit themselves to be unmovably fixed. THE BORDER; either, 1. The estate, _the border_ being oft used for the land within the borders, as PSALMS 105:31,33, and elsewhere. Or, 2. The border by which lands were then bounded and distinguished, which... [ Continue Reading ]
THE THOUGHTS OF THE WICKED; and much more their words, which express their thoughts; for _thoughts are_ said to be free, and wicked men are seldom and but little concerned for the sins of their thoughts. THE WORDS OF THE PURE, which discover and proceed from their thoughts, MATTHEW 15:19. PLEASANT;... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT IS GREEDY OF GAIN, that seeketh wealth by unjust courses, as appears from the opposite clause, TROUBLETH HIS OWN HOUSE; bringeth God's curse and destruction upon himself and his family, whom he designed to enrich and establish. THAT HATETH; who refuseth them not with dissimulation, nor only... [ Continue Reading ]
STUDIETH TO ANSWER; he answers or speaks considerately and conscientiously, and therefore profitably, or to the use and edification of the hearers. THE MOUTH, not the heart; for he is without heart in Scripture account, and he rashly speaks what comes into his mouth, without the direction of his hea... [ Continue Reading ]
IS FAR FROM THE WICKED, to wit, when they pray to him, as the next clause explains, and therefore doth not hear nor regard them, as he is said to be NIGH TO THE RIGHTEOUS, PSALMS 34:18, PSALMS 145:18. But this farness or nearness respecteth not God's essence, which is every where, but his gracious a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LIGHT OF THE EYES REJOICETH THE HEART; the light which we see with our eyes, and by the help of which we see many other pleasant objects, is a great comfort and refreshment. Compare ECCLESIASTES 11:7, _Truly the light is sweet_, and a _pleasant_ thing it is _for the eyes to behold the sun_; whic... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EAR THAT HEARETH; the man that hearkeneth to it, and delights in it. THE REPROOF OF LIFE; that reproof and good counsel which leads to life. ABIDETH AMONG THE WISE, Heb. _shall_ or _will abide_, &. c. Either, 1. He will thereby be made wise, and be esteemed one of that number. Or rather, 2. He... [ Continue Reading ]
DESPISETH HIS OWN SOUL; which hereby he exposeth to the danger of utter destruction, whereby he shows his folly. GETTETH UNDERSTANDING; whereby he saveth his soul. Heb. _possesseth an heart_, which the Hebrews make the seat of wisdom.... [ Continue Reading ]
IS THE INSTRUCTION OF WISDOM; doth instruct men in or lead them to true wisdom; whence it is said to be the beginning of wisdom, PROVERBS 1:7, PROVERBS 9:10. BEFORE HONOUR IS HUMILITY, i. e. it is the ready way to honour, both from God and from men. _Humility_; whereby men submit to God, and yield t... [ Continue Reading ]